The Future of Album/CD Cover Artwork
As it is that I have a vested interest in the subject, I think that it is only fair for me to start a discussion about what I believe the future holds for this aspect of the music business.
I'm sure that I'm not the first person who has purchased a recording based more on the impression that was made on me by the cover artwork, as opposed to the music packaged inside. Growing up in the 1960s-70s, there were albums that I bought for various reasons based on the packaging:
1) Gatefold packaging - c'mon, admit it - albums such as "Frampton Comes Alive", "Chicago VI", Earth WInd & Fire's "That's The Way of The World", and The Allman Bros' "Brothers & Sisters", while they all contained some great music, were probably used more in college dorm rooms for a) cleaning the seeds out of your pot and b)lining with aluminum foil and then using them to concentrate the sun's rays to improve your sun tan.
2) Artwork that made the drugs work better - ingredients for a weekend afternoon - mix a) one hit of acid or some 'shrooms with b) "In the Court of The Crimson King", stir gently, and then lie in bed until it's over...a copy of "Captain Beyond" with the 3D cover, "In A Gadda Da Vida", or the Electric Prunes' "Underground" may have been substituted if the King Crimson cover was not available.
3) Album artwork that made the whole package undeniably cool - So many albums fall into this category - "Dark Side of the Moon", "Sticky Fingers", "School's Out", Sgt. Pepper's, "Workingman's Dead", "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys", "Magician's Birthday", "London Calling" and "Never Mind The Bullocks..." later on - when you look back at these covers, it was the combination of the awe-inspiring music and the amazing artwork that made the purchase of these recordings true investments in ART.
When the CD arrived, and the canvas was reduced in size from 144 sq. inches to 25 sq. inches, many predicted the end of the value of the packaging. However, it simply made folks get more creative in producing multi-page booklets containing art, photography, and some interesting writing to boot. Double CDs and boxed sets created even more opportunities (I really love the booklet inside my "Woodstock" box set - so many great photos!).
Today, with the advent of digital downloads (and the emphasis on singles vs. full-length recordings), there is again great fear that the artwork will be either relegated to a minor support role, or done away with altogether. There have been some attempts to combat this - Apple's iTunes store offers downloadable artwork, artist-centric images have been pretty popular downloads for mobile phones, and wallpapers and screen-savers continue to be a popular offering on artist Web sites - but I'm not so clear as to whether the "Millennials" value the packaging (vs. choice, convenience, and speed).
So now, I throw the question back out to you - will the artwork featured on CD/DVD packaging continue to be of value to the consumer (regardless of how they obtain it), or will the fine artists who create these memorable works need to re-think their futures?
That's our topic - "let's discuss".
Cheers, Mike G - AlbumCoverHallofFame.com
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